Combined wash sponge, back strap and soap holder



H. WEBB July 30, 1963 COMBINED WASH SPONGE, BACK STRAP AND SOAP HOLDER Filed Sept. 4, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. HARRY WEBB A 770mg H. WEBB 3,099,032

E, BACK STRAP AND SOAP HOLDER July 30, 1963 COMBINED WASH SPONG Filed Sept. 4, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f/VVE/VTOE HARRY WEBB United States Patent Ofi ice 3 9 Patented July 30, 1963 3,099,032 COWEVED WASH SPGNGE, BACK STRAP AND SOAP HOLDER Harry Webb, 41 W'. 27th St., New York, N.Y. Filed Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 221,232 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-509) This invention relates to a washing and bathing appliance and more particularly concerns a combination wash sponge, soap holder, sponge holding strap and massager.

It is an object of the invention to provide a washing and bathing appliance which can be wrapped and secured around the hand of a bather for washing various parts of the body, the appliance including a porous sponge, and a flexible support for the sponge, the support having a pocket in which a piece of soap can be inserted for applying soap to the sponge.

Another object is to provide a washing and bathing appliance as described having a strap removably secured by snap fasteners to the sponge and soap support, for use by a bather in washing and scrubbing his back.

A further object is to provide an appliance as described with a removable massager.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing and bathing appliance embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the appliance in folded condition for use as a washing device held in the hand. FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a strap useful in holding the appliance.

FIG. 7 is an edgewise elevational view of the appliance with attached belt.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are sectional views taken on lines 88, 9-9 and 19-19, respectively, of FIG. 7.

FIG. ll is a perspective view of a massager device.

FIG. 12 is an edgewise view of an assembly of washing appliance, strap and massager.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 of the assembly of FIG. 12.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. l5, a washing and bathing appliance 2% including a generally rectangular sponge 22 made of sponge rubber, plastic or other porous material. Secured to one side or" the sponge is a plastic backing sheet 24. The sheet is secured by a suitable adhesive 26 extending all around the margins of the sheet and leaving the center portion of the sheet free from the sponge. The sheet has a longitudinal slit 28 defining a pocket 30 into which a piece of soap 32 can be inserted. Instead of a piece of soap, the pocket 30 can be filled with powdered or liquid soap or detergent. The soap directly contacts the rear side 23 of the sponge. When the sponge is wet it dissolves the layer of soap contacting the side 23. As the sponge is manipulated in washing a part of a bathers body, the soap lather passes through the sponge to the surface being washed.

The sheet 24 has two elongated tabs 25', 25 extending outwardly of the sheet beyond both ends of the sponge. Tab 25 carries 'a snap fastener member 34 having two male elements or studs 35 35 extending outwardly of opposite sides thereof. Tab 25* carries a flexible snap fastener member 36 formed with opposing recesses 38 38 The tabs can be overlapped at their ends to engage stud 35 in recess 38*. This will provide a loop into which the bather can insert his hand for manipulating the appliance. Holes 33 in the tab permit the appliance to be hung on a support when not in use.

In order to use the appliance for washing a bathers shoulders, back and other body parts not conveniently accessible, there is provided an elongated flexible strap 40 made of plastic, cloth, rubber or other suitable material. This strap, as clearly shown in FIGS. 6-10, has two snap fastener members 42, 44 spaced apart longitudinally of the strap and located near the center of the strap. Member 42 is a double male element having opposing studs 43 43. One of these studs can engage in recess 38 of tab 25 Member 44 is a flexible double female element having double recesses 45*, 45', one of which can engage stud 35 of tab 25 FIG. 7 shows the strap 49 engaged with the tabs 25*, 25 so that the bather can wash his shoulders and back with the sponge while applying soap thereto.

FIG. 11 shows a massaging appliance 50 in the form of a flexible strip 51 of rubber or plastic having corrugations 52 formed at one side. The corrugations extend transversely across the strip. Snap fastener members 54, 56 are located near opposite ends of the strip. Member 54 is a double male element having studs 55 55 Stud 55 can engage in recess 45* of the member 44 on strap 40 while member 56 is a flexible, double female element having recesses 57 57", one of which can engage stud 43 of the member 42 on the strap. When the parts are assembled as indicated in FIG. 12, the appliance can be used by the bather to wash his back with sponge 22. By turning the appliance over he can massage his back with the corrugated side of strip 51 while holding the appliance by the free ends of strap 40. The massaging appliance 50 can be removed if desired from the strap 40. Alternatively the strap 40 with massager 50 attached thereto can be detached from appliance Zll and used independently thereof.

If the bather desires to use the massager 50 with appliance 20 he can do so as shown in FIG. 13 by engaging stud 55 in the exposed recess 35 on tab 25 while the other stud 5'5 engages in recess 57 of member 56. The strip will then be wound around the sponge and its ends will overlap the overlapped ends of the tabs 25*, 25*. This arrangement converts appliance 20 to use as a massager with sponge 22 serving as a resilient pad therefor.

The appliance described thus is readily adaptable for a variety of uses by snapping diflferent parts on and off the other parts as shown in the drawings.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made Within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A washing and bathing appliance, comprising a porous sponge having a flat side, a flexible sheet secured to margins of said side leaving a central portion of said sheet unattached to an adjacent central port-ion of said side, said sheet having a slit therein at the central portion thereof providing an opening for a detergent receiving pocket between the central portions of said sheet and side of the sponge, said sheet having tabs extending beyond said sponge at opposite ends thereof, fastener members on ends of the respective tabs, a long flexible strap, and further fastener members spaced apart at a central 7 3 portion of the strap detachably engaging the fastening members of the tabs respectively while the tabs overlay the strap and the sponge extends away from the strap, said strap having free ends extending beyond the tabs respectively for grasping by a bather using the appliance.

2. A washing, bathing and massaging appliance, comprising a porous sponge having a flat side, a flexible sheet secured to margins of said side leaving a central portion of said sheet unattached to an adjacent central portion of said side, said sheet having a slit therein at the central portion thereof providing an opening for a detergent receiving pocket between the central portions of said sheet and side of the sponge, said sheet having tabs extending beyond said sponge at opposite ends thereof, mutually engageable fastener members on respective ends of the tabs for forming the tabs into a loop to receive the hand of a person using the appliance, a flexible strip juxtaposed to the other side of the sponge, said strip having a corrugated outer side for massaging a body part, and further lfastener members at ends of said strip mutually engaged with each other and with one of the fastener members on one of the tabs, whereby the appliance may serve as a massaging device.

3. A washing and bathing appliance, comprising a porous sponge having a flat side, a flexible sheet secured to margins of said side leaving a central portion of said sheet unattached to an adjacent central portion of said side, said sheet having a slit therein at the central portion thereof providing an opening for a detergent receiving pocket between the central portions of said sheet and side of the sponge, said sheet having tabs extending beyond said sponge at oppositeends thereof, and mutually engageable fastener members on respective ends of the tabs for forming the tabs into a loop to receive the hand of a person using the appliance, each of the fastener members being a snap fastener element, one of said members having double studs extending in opposite directions, the other of the fastener members having double recesses opening in opposite directions.

4. A washing and bathing appliance, comprising a porous sponge having a flat side, a flexible sheet secured to margins of said side leaving a central portion of said sheet unattached to an adjacent central portion of said side, said sheet having a slit therein at the central portion thereof providing an opening for a detergent receiving pocket between the central portions of said sheet and side of the sponge, said sheet having tabs extending beyond said sponge at opposite ends thereof, fastener members on ends of the respective tabs, a long flexible strap, and further fastener members spaced apart at a central portion of the strap detachably engaging the fastening members of the tabs respectively while the tabs overlay the strap and the sponge extends away from the strap, said strap having free ends extending beyond the tabs respectively for grasping by a b ather using the appliance, each of the fastener members on the tabs and strap being a snap fastener element, one of the fastener members on one of the tabs and one of the fastener members on the strap each having double studs extending in opposite directions, the other fastener member on the other tab and the other fastener member on the strap each having double recesses opening in opposite directions.

5. A washing, bathing and massaging appliance, comprising a porous sponge having a flat side, a flexible sheet secured to margins of said side leaving a central portion of said sheet unattached to an adjacent central portion of said side, said sheet having a slit therein at the central portion thereof providing an opening for a detergent receiving pocket between the central portions of said sheet and side of the sponge, said sheet having tabs extending beyond said sponge at opposite ends thereof, mutually engageable fastener members on respective ends of the tabs for forming the tabs into a loop to receive the hand of a person using the appliance, a flexible strip juxtaposed to the other side of the sponge, said strip having a corrugated outer side for massaging a body part, and further fastener members at ends of said strip mutually engaged with each other and with one of the fastener members on one of the tabs, whereby the appliance may serve as a massaging device, each of the fastener members on the tabs and strip being a snap fastener element, one of the fastener members on one of the tabs and one of the fastener members on the strip having double studs extending in opposite directions, the other fastener member on the other tab and the other fastener member on the strip each having double recesses opening in opposite directions.

6. A massaging appliance, comprising a long flexible strap, said strap having a pair of fastener members spaced inwardly of opposite ends of the strap, and a flexible strip having further fastener members at opposite ends thereof engaged with the respective fastener members of the strap to juxtapose the strip to the strap at a central portion thereof, said strip having an outer corrugated side for massaging a body part, each of the fastener members on the strap and strip being a snap fastener element, one of the fastener members on the strap and one of the fastener members on the strip each having double studs extending in opposite directions, the other one of the fastener members on the strap and the other one of the fastener members on the strip each having double recesses extending in opposite directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

3. A WASHING AND BATHING APPLIANCE, COMPRISING A POROUS SPONGE HAVING A FLAT SIDE, A FLEXIBLE SHEET SECURED TO MARGINS OF SAID SIDE LEAVING A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID SHEET UNATTACHED TO AN ADJACENT CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID SIDE, SAID SHEET HAVING A SLIT THEREIN AT THE CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF PROVIDING AN OPENING FOR A DETERGENT RECEIVING POCKET BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SAID SHEET AND SIDE OF THE SPONGE, SAID SHEET HAVING TABS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID SPONGE AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, AND MUTUALLY ENGAGABLE FASTENER MEMBERS ON RESPECTIVE ENDS OF THE TABS FOR FORMING THE TABS INTO A LOOP TO RECEIVE THE HAND OF A PERSON USING THE APPLIANCE, EACH OF THE FASTENER MEMBERS BEING A SNAP FASTENER ELEMENT, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING DOUBLE STUDS EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, THE OTHER OF THE FASTENER MEMBERS HAVING DOUBLE RECESSES OPENING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.
 6. A MASSAGING APPLIANCE, COMPRISING A LONG FLEXIBLE STRAP, SAID STRAP HAVING A PAIR OF FASTENER MEMBERS SPACED INWARDLY OF OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE STRAP, AND A FLEXIBLE STRIP HAVING FURTHER FASTENER MEMBERS AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF ENGAGED WITH THE RESPECTIVE FASTENER MEMBERS OF THE STRAP TO JUXTAPOSE THE STRIP TO THE STRAP AT A CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF, SAID STRIP HAVING AN OUTER CORRUGATED SIDE FOR MASSAGING A BODY PART, EACH OF THE FASTENER MEMBERS ON THE STRAP AND STRIP BEING A SNAP FASTENER ELEMENT, ONE OF THE FASTENER MEMBERS ON THE STRAP AND ONE OF THE FASTENER MEMBERS ON THE STRIP EACH HAVING DOUBLE STUDS EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, THE OTHER ONE OF THE FASTENER MEMBERS ON THE STRAP AND THE OTHER ONE OF THE FASTENER MEMBERS ON THE STRIP EACH HAVING DOUBLE RECESSES EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. 